Block-machine.



V W. L. KELLBR.

BLOGK MAGHINE.

ABPLIOATION I'ILED OOT. 20, 1908.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909. v

m W H .a e z u L 2 v 4 x x lil UNlTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

\WILLIAM L. KELLER, OF KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.

BLOCK-MACHINE.

Application filed October 20, 1908.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inmachines or apparatus for use in making concrete blocks for building orother purposes, and the invention has for its Object, a simple, durableconstruction of device of this character which is composed ofcomparatively few parts that may be cheaply manufactured and easilyassembled and which .will be eflicient in operation for making blocks ofdifferent designs or types.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of parts that I shall hereinafter fullydescribe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is aSimilar view of the upper portion of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view; Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectionalview showing the lug forming member in side elevation; and, Fig. 5 is adetail front elevation of such lug forming member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the Views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

The Stand of my improved block machine embodies standards l and a bed 2extending across the bearings of the standards 1 and secured thereto inany desired way. The Stand is provided with a frame which comprises afront 3, back 1 and ends 5 and 6 secured to the standards 1 between theupper the lower ends thereof, the said frame being rectangular as shownand serving as a support for the flask in the lowered position thereof,as well as a support for some of the actuating parts of the apparatus. Ashaft 7 extends transversely across the stand through the standards 1 atabout the level of the upper edge of said rectangular frame, theprojecting ends of said shaft carrying Specfication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. let, 1909.

Serial No. 458,700.

gear wheels 8, and one end of said shaft having a hand lever 9 securedto it. The gear wheels 8 mesh with the teeth of verticaily extendingrack bars 10, said rack bars being provided with longitudinallyextending slots 11 which accommodate screws or bolts 12 that are securedto the ends 5 and 6 of the rectangular frame, so as to properly guidethe rack bars up and down as the shaft 7 and the gear wheels 8 areturned by means of the hand lever 9. The bearings of the rack bars 10are secured in any desired way to the ends 13 of the flask, the saidflask being rectangular in the present instance as shown, and embodyingin addition to the end piece 13, a front 14 and a back 15.

16 designates a latch bar which is pivotally connected at one end to thebase of one of the standards 1, and which is provided with a hookedopposite end to engage the hand lever 9 in one position of the latter tohold the flask at the upper limit of its movement. A. tilting bracket 17is fulcrumed on the base 2, the normally upwardly projecting plate ofsaid bracket, being formed with handle portions 18 and the Other plateof said bracket is designed to directly support the pallet of the mold.The pallet in the present instance, is indicated at 19, being shown as acheap pallet composed of a board of any size.

In practical operation, in addition to the pallet 19, I propose to useanother cheap pallet 20, arranged on edge in a longitudinally extendingvertically disposed position forming the back of the mold proper.

Each of the handle portions 18 of the bracket above mentioned isprovided with a plurality of apertures 21 arranged one above the other,and through any one of which a bolt may extend and secure to the handleportion transversely eXtending bar 22, to which the arms 23 of a lugforming member of the mold are pivotally connected so that the said lugforming member may swing transversely about a horizontal axis- This lugforming member of the mold is provided with a loop handle 2 1 by whichit may be swung over the mold or upwardly or backwardly out of the way.

In the practical use of my improved block molding machine, if it bedesired to form a block with a lug thereon, of the type illustrated inmy accompanying application for Letters Patent executed the 21st day ofSeptember 1908, the handle lever 9 is swung to an upward position sothat it stands vertically which will raise the flask the requireddistance to produce the body portion of the block, and which will alsomake provision for the thickness of the cheap pallet 12) which is laidon the bed 2. The mold proper is for-med by the front and two end piecesof the fiask, the pallet 19 on the bottom, and the corresponding pallet20 at the rear side. The lug on the block is formed by the memher 23which is of the required shape and which is swung over-on top of thefiask. After the block has been thus forned, the lever 9 is swung overin a direction to lower the flask which will expose the completed block,it being understood that the lug forming' member is Swung back out ofthe way and the completed block will then be finally carried away on thecheap pallet 19. If it be desired to form deeper blocks, or corner orjamb blocks, the lever is swung in the opposite direction so as to raisethe flask to the upper linit of its movement, and the lever is caught bythe hooked end of the latch bar 16 so as to hold the flask in this upperposition. After such block is formed, the operator by grasping thehandles 18, after the flask has been again lowered, may tilt thecompleted block over upon the pallet 20, which has been assuming avertical position, and the block may then be carried away on the pallet20. This tilting movement is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Obviously the apparatus is not limited to the construction of anyparticular form or size of block.

If it be desired to make a block with a roug'hened or rock faceimitation of hewn natural stone, a special pallet may be used in thebottom of the nold for that purpose and, after the block has beencompleted, it may be tilted up upon the cheap pallet 20 and carriedaway, leaving the rock ribbed or similar pallet in the nold for theformation of other blocks. By this means, it is evident that aconsiderable saving is effected as one of these pallets of specialconstruction may be used in the manufacture of any desired number ofblocks of the same character.

lt is Obvious that by providing' 'the two handle members 18 of thebracket 17 with means for securi'ng' the bar 22 thereto, right or lefthand blocks may be formed; that is to say, by changing the lug formingmember from one handle portion to the other, the lug on the completedblock may be at one end thereof or at the other. v

If desired, as illustrated in Fig'. 3, I may secure hooks 25 to the endsof the flask at the upper edges thereof, said hooks being designed tohold a rock face or similar forn of pallet as indicated at 26, so thatby working the handle 9 up and down, the flask may act in the nature ofa press for the material in the mold. r

Itis to be understood' that I use a plurality of different size lugforming` members according to the eXact size and shape of lug, it isdesired to form. These lug forming members being detachable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A molding apparatus, comprising a stand, a flask mounted on saidstand, an angular bracket pivotally mounted on the Stand, and a lugforming member carried by one arm of said bracket.

2. A molding apparatus comprising a stand, a flask movable up and downon said stand, means for moving said flask, the stand being providedwith a bed, angular brackets pivotally mounted on said bed and arrangedto swing transversely thereon, and a lug forming member pivotallymounted on one arm of one of said brackets.

3. A molding apparatus, comprising a stand, embodying a bed, angularbrackets pivotally mounted on said bed, one arm of each bracket beingprovided with an aperture, a bar arranged to be secured by a bolt in theaperture of either bracket, and a lug forming member pivotally mountedon said bar.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVILLIAM L. KELLER. XVitnesses H. F. NEAL, M. J. GRAHAM.

